Sun soaked country with virtually no tourists among best places to visit in 2024
Angola, a massive country often overlooked by tourists, has been named one of the best places to visit in 2024.
The west-central coast of Southern Africa may not be the first destination European travellers may think of visiting, but it is full of breath-taking landscapes and cultural treasures. It is also vast.
The nation covers 481,400 square miles, making it the 22nd biggest in the world and the seventh largest in Africa. Just shy of 36million people live across what is a vibrant and diverse nation that is full of surprises. It is one of the places to visit this year, the Express reports.
Despite this, Angola recorded a total of just 64,000 tourists in 2021, ranking 127th in the world in absolute terms. By comparison, the UK had 37million visitors last year.
The Angolan government is making efforts to boost tourism, including introducing a quick approval e-visa that will make it much easier to visit the country from later this year.
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The lively capital, Luanda, is the likely first port of call for those new to the country. One of the top attractions there is the Christ the King statue, which is more than faintly similar to the famous one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The African country has many miles of beautiful coastline (Getty Images/500px)Both statues are 30m high, with the Angolan version having hung over the city that is majority Christian for the past 66 years.
A trip to the Saint Michael Fortress provides a fascinating day out and insight into how much Angola was impacted by Colonial forces. The Portuguese battlement was built in 1576 by Angola’s first Captain-Governor Paulo Dias de Novais.
It was once the administrative centre of the country and, unfortunately, became a holding place for slaves being sent to Brazil. For several hundred years people were enslaved in Angola and forcibly trafficked to South America, with as many as 10,000 Angolans a year subject to this horrific treatment. Today the fort serves as a reminder of this past yet it remains quite beautiful. The ornate wall tiles that cover parts of it tell the story of Angola’s history as do a number of ancient relics on display.
In 1996 the Saint Michael Fortress became a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since then, it has become one of the most popular places to visit in the city.
From the capital, a short 10-minute boat ride from Terminal Maritimo Capossoca will take you to Mussulo, an island with wide sandy beaches perfect for sunbathing and partying. Luanda itself has a great nightlife. There are many clubs throughout the city but the most popular and glamorous ones are on the Ilha, a spit of land that runs along that coast that has become something of a hedonistic playground.
One of the impressive sights in the country are the Calendula Falls, an enormous series of waterfalls 360km away from Luanda. By volume the 400m long falls are one of the biggest in Africa.
If you do decide to visit Angola, then it should be noted that not all parts of the country are deemed to be completely safe. The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the province of Cabinda in Angola, excluding Cabinda city. They also caution against travelling within one kilometre of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Lunda Norte province, except at official border crossings and their access roads.
In addition, they have warned about high levels of crime in the capital, Luanda. The Foreign Office stated: "There is a high level of crime in Luanda, some of it violent. Muggings, particularly to steal mobile phones and other valuables, and armed robberies can occur in any area at any time of the day or night.
It continues: "Areas popular with foreigners are particular targets. You should be particularly careful when withdrawing money from banks and ATMs both during daytime and at night, as people doing so have been the subject of armed robberies, some of which have been fatal."
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You can find out more in the Foreign Office's full Angola travel advice.
It is possible to fly from London Gatwick to Angola, with one stop, on Ethiopian airlines around £400 return in February, with the journey taking 13 hours each way. The temperature will hover around the 30C mark, so you won't suffer from any winter blues.
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